The Wicked House of Caroline

“What do you mean he never arrived? Was there an accident? Was he attacked?” Lucian asked as his eyes narrowed. Beks’ grip on his arm tightened.

The man kneeling didn’t lift his head. “I only heard he was close to the Summer Palace, but the day he was expected to arrive, he didn’t. Search parties had been sent to look for him, but it’s as if he’d disappeared.”

Laurence’s lips tightened into a line. “Disappear is just another term for not knowing what happened.”

“What are the chances that Prince Tarkhan had something to do with it?” Robert asked as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“If not him, then his people,” Laz replied in a low voice. “But why wait until he was near the Summer Palace? Did they want him to lower their guard?”

“How much easier do you think it would’ve been for us to find you two if you had disappeared outside of Kadmium instead of disappearing outside the borders, where we lacked eyes?” Laurence asked as he looked over at the twins. “It may seem counter-intuitive, as a usurper would not want the rightful heir to present during such a critical time, but there are numerous reasons why they’d wait until Prince Zhanzhin was almost to the Summer Palace to act.”

“If we’ve heard that there is a flight for the Langshe throne, then half the continent, if not all of Langshe knows at this point,” Laz said as he shut his eyes and hunched forward to take a deep breath to calm himself. “Even if foul play is suspected, no one is going to do anything about it. The power of the Emperor or Empress of Langshe is near-absolute, and so the common people can only wait to see takes the throne.”

“The other countries will also keep a neutral position until the new ruler is announced, so as not to be marked as an enemy if they side with the one who loses,” Lucian added.

“Do you know how long it has been since Prince Zhanzhin disappeared?” Beks asked.

The man who was reporting to them shook his head. “No, I do not, my lady. However, when Prince Zhanzhin left the Summer Palace, the late Empress was still alive. I don’t know the exact date of her death, but we found out three weeks ago, when we left Paraxes.”

Without urapearls, news from the mainland would reach them slowly. Information that was delayed was costly.

“Three weeks...there are usually merchants or some sort of envoy from Paraxes in Langshe, so news would travel swiftly through them. Even then, it could be as short as a week for such news to reach the merchants of Paraxes to a month,” Laurence said as he rubbed his chin. He took a deep breath. “Rise, Lt. Vernoz. If there is no more urgent news, you may retire and report in full tomorrow morning.”

Lt. Vernoz rose to his feet and bowed to Laurence before standing straight and giving him a salute, then turning, and giving Laz, who was still seated on a stump, a salute, and turning around. The throne room was silent as his quiet footsteps disappeared outside.

Since the arrival of Laurence, high ranked Wild Dogs were assigned to guard the Inheritor’s Palace in place of a royal guard. Even inside, where the inhabitants were limited to so few of them, Laz made Laurence have two Wild Dogs with him at all times.

“Brother,” Lucian said as he looked towards Laurence. “Laz and I....” He trailed off, appearing unsure of where to start.

“Laz, Lucian,” Laurence replied, his voice low, but gentle. “I am truly sorry for your loss. Empress Saran was a benevolent, but firm leader. Her love for you both, though born princes of another country, was enviable.”

Beks felt her eyes redden as she lowered them. She could hear sincerity, and real envy, in Laurence’s voice. His father’s family was also royalty of a prosperous kingdom, but Paraxes offered him no aid throughout his childhood and even allowed Kadmus to do as they wished now, when his brother was wearing his crown.

To make the indifference worse, Prince Alexios had been betrothed to the late Queen since they were small children for economic and political purposes. The late Queen and Uncle Timur had wed despite the concerns of Empress Saran, and she still supported the late Queen’s rule and Kadmus’ trade with Langshe after Uncle Timur died, and would send periodic requests on the status of her nephews.

Beks only knew this because when the late Queen was dying and she and Laurence were doing her work, she had seen the correspondence. She looked towards Laurence and gave him a meaningful glance. “Brother....”

He returned her glance with a nod. “Laz, Lucian, I order you to retire the rest of the day.”

The twins looked up at once with slight protest on their already distraught faces. “But, Brother-” They were cut off by a stern look. Both princes took deep breaths and nodded obediently. “Yes, Brother.”

“Beks,” Laurence continued. “Take them back to rest.”

She bowed her head towards him and stood up, reaching down to help pull them up one at a time. She then nestled one of each of their arms in the crooks of hers before leading them out of the throne room through the side door where she’d rushed in from.

There were very few people who came and went into the Inheritor’s Tier, let alone the palace. Now that Laurence had arrived, a quarter of the Wild Dogs were assigned as Royal Guards by Laz. No matter how safe they felt on the island, he refused to take any chances and two Wild Dogs were guarding Laurence at a distance at all times.

He would be safe without the twins, though Beks left her father with him.

She led the twins down the hall in silence. They had two rooms across the hall from Laurence’s, but Beks didn’t take them there. She took them further back, to the rotunda.

Beks felt that the environment of her room was more relaxing; the windows were open to let in both the breeze and the view. The breeze coupled with the shade and water fixture in the center of the room kept the room cooler than any others.

“Lay down,” she said as she led them towards the bed. She released their arms and turned around to close the door behind them.

“Beks,” Laz said with a helpless, heavy breath. “We are not in the mood for a nap.”

“You don’t have to nap. Just lay down and take a moment to breathe,” she told them. Everyone grieved differently, but at that moment, she felt that they were overwhelmed and stunned by the news.

Their hearts and minds were struggling to make sense of death and unexpected disappearance, and she sought to give them a place where they could collect their thoughts. At her coaxing, the twins sat at the foot of the bed. Like they had done for her when she arrived, she helped take off their boots and removed their billowy outer tunics which protected their skin from the sun, but were thin enough to let the breeze through.

She folded them and placed them on the corner, motioning for the two to lay down. Lucian almost didn’t see the heavy book on legendary beasts when he laid back, and for a moment, smiled softly. He moved the book to the side.

“If Wrath finds us taking up her space, she’ll be upset.”

“Wrath is a smart girl and will understand,” Beks told them. “Besides, she’s probably halfway across the island with the surveying team.”

From the part of the island where they were located, a small team had been formed to slowly fan out and explore the island in detail. This included Wild Dogs who had knowledge in topography, flora, fauna, and mapmaking, as well as Dranga scholars and hunters.

The crew of Leviathan’s Throne remained anchored offshore and those with applicable skills also joined the surveying team. The other two ships had opted to return to sea, though Master Zilar and his wife voluntarily remained on the island not only so Master Zilar could continue to teach Thad, but because his wife was pregnant.

The Duchess said that it was customary for pregnant members of Maritime Legacy to be taken to shore and placed in private residences from the time they were found to be pregnant to a year after they gave birth. Their spouse could choose to stay with them or continue to sail, but during pregnancy and post-partum, the mother and child would be taken care of by Maritime Legacy.

The system was put in place by her Great Aunt, after the pregnancy of a close friend and crew member. When Beks had studied what she considered the policies and benefits of Maritime Legacy, she was quite impressed. The pirate fleet took very good care of their own and in some cases, much better than any kingdom did their navy.

Master Zilar and his wife, and the crew members who wished to stay on shore, lived amongst the Dranga people in Igasha Town.

The Duchess’ leviathan, Inky, was not needed, so he had gone to the nearest trench to feed. According to Wrath, Inky was surprisingly unaffected by the defensive current and could swim close to the island. He just couldn’t get too close because of the shallows. However, Wrath also said that Inky didn’t feel comfortable and would rather stay outside the fog.

Beks assumed that the biha of the island was too much for the leviathan. After all, it had been enough where just breathing in the air for a few days caused her to have a biha explosion.

Luckily, she’d adjusted quickly. So quickly, that after a day, she didn’t see the fog at all.

The twins laid back on her large bed and Beks opened all the windows and doors to let in the air. She then slipped out of her own shoes and climbed on the bed. The twins opened their eyes as the bed shook with her awkward movements. They looked towards her with curiosity as she made her way towards them. She furrowed her brows, pausing for a moment before squeezing between them and laying on her stomach, awkwardly putting one arm over each of their chests.

Despite himself, Laz let out a laugh. “Are you trying to embrace us at the same time?”

Beks buried her head in the blanket as her face heated up. “I thought this would comfort you,” she told them. “As Wrath says: hug me. It will make you feel better.” She felt a wave of embarrassment saying it.

It was adorable when Wrath said it, but as an adult woman, it sounded silly. She couldn’t bring herself to lift her head.

On either side of her, she heard the twins’ warm chuckles. Two arms went around her and flipped her over while another set pulled her up, so she leaned back against the pillows they’d bought for her from the mainland. She was seated, Lucian shuffled beside her and put his arm around her shoulder before pulling her head against his while Laz slid down, resting his own head against her chest, and draping his good arm over her stomach.

“Well, Wrath was right.” Lucian’s warm breath touched her flushed skin. “It does make us feel better.”

Laz rubbed his head against her and let out an agreeing hum. As the two nestled against her, Beks relaxed. One arm rested on Lucian’s lap, while the other on Laz’s back: her fingers playing with his long strands of hair. Her voice was quiet.

“I’m sorry for your loss.”

Lucian squeezed her and shut his eyes. Beside her Laz spoke up in a dazed voice. “It is almost as if every time, we are helpless....”

Beks furrowed her brows. “What do you mean?”

“We did not return before Mother passed,” Lucian answered for the both of them. “I was in the midst of a pilgrimage, and before I could finish it and return, I was attacked. Laz came to look for me, so he couldn’t return in time.”

“Then Brother was almost killed.” Laz’s voice was tight and regretful. “We didn’t even know....” He let out a bitter laugh. “One brother betrayed us and the other nearly died. With things as they are now, we can’t even return to Kadmus to see our mother’s tomb without targets on our heads.”

“And now, our aunt who loved us passed, and it’s too tumultuous for us to go and pay our respects. Our cousin is missing and could likely be dead,” Lucian choked out. “It is too frustrating.... We spent years doing what we were told. Study. Train. Become pillars to support Kadmus, but for what? We were hunted down. We can’t support anyone we care about.”

His grip on her tightened and she turned her head and pressed her face against the crook of his neck. “How can you say that? You are supporting so many.”

“This makes the potential loss all the more terrifying,” Laz said. “We can’t afford to fail, Beks. The safety of everyone on this island depends on whether or not we can get Brother Laurence back on the throne, and at the moment, we still have so much to do.”

“We all know that the longer Luther is in power, the more resistance there will be,” Lucian replied. “Beks, we need to tell Brother Laurence that we can fund his return.”

She took a deep breath and narrowed her eyes. “We need to prepare a proper plan to use the money left to you. We’ll need to purchase supplies, and those supplies can’t be purchased all at once or from the same location, as it’ll attract attention. If the Fourth Prince and Third Consort discover that Brother is alive and planning on returning before we are ready, they will try to stifle our plans before Brother can set foot on the mainland.” She shut her eyes and took a deep breath.

Before she could make a plan, she would need to know what she was working with.

“If we go to Aceria where our inheritance is kept, would you be able to calculate what can be purchased with the amount there?” Lucian asked as he kneaded her arm.

She didn’t open her eyes, but knit her brows. “Do you not know the exact amount?”

“Not everything there was usable as immediate currency. There are plenty of objects of significant worth that we’d have to sell,” Lucian said. He’d gone to Aceria after Surveyor I had been purchased and set sail for more mainland supplies along the coast. Surveyor I was smaller and faster of the two ships, but it still took Lucian almost a week with their limited crew to get to Aceria to try to find their late father’s inheritance for them.

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier about your inheritance from Uncle Timur?”

“Because we didn’t know if it still existed,” Laz replied. “Aceria’s wealth vaults don't have names attached to them to protect the owner’s privacy. They can only be accessed by someone who has already registered their biha.”

Beks frowned. “Then that means that a customer would need to have biha.”

“Just the smallest amount will be enough,” Laz said. “Adah had us registered when we were seven, following our only trip to Langshe. Gifts from our aunt were also included into the vault. However, after nearly two decades, anything could’ve happened. We hadn’t gone back in all that time.”

“We didn’t want to make you a promise that we couldn’t keep,” Lucian said. “As soon as we could, I sailed over to check. Both vaults have no sign of entry from the outside, but I was only able to access my vault.”

“You have separate vaults?”

Laz pressed his head against her, relishing her finger through his hair. “Hmm...Adah was very fair. They should be identical.”

“Then, both of you have to return to Aceria.”

“Brother will be hesitant to let us go now that he’s found us, but it’s necessary if we need to find out how many resources we have,” Lucian said. “If we leave without telling him, it’ll trouble him.”

Beks didn’t realize how anxious Laurence was about his two younger brothers until she noticed that he was only able to fully concentrate when he knew where at least one of them was. Laz and Lucian always let him know where they were, and she thought it was a matter of respect, but now she realized it was to reassure Laurence, who felt as if his brothers were back from the dead.

“He’ll listen to you when it comes to governance, politics, and organization, Beks. If you convince him, it’ll give him peace of mind and validate us leaving at the same time.”

Beks drew her lips inwards. “Then, I’ll talk to him.”

“I’ll use my light biha to disguise you.”

“And I’ll make sure we’re well guarded.”

She nodded, mulling over what needed to be done to leave. “Should I bring one of my parents or my brother?”

“No.” Their answer was simultaneous and she opened her eyes, flickering her gaze from one to the other.

“So certain?”

“The less attention we attract the better. In addition, we’d feel safer leaving Brother Laurence here if your family stays with him,” Lucian told her.

“Although, the Duchess may be able to get us there faster with her water biha,” Laz pointed out as he lifted his head a bit. “The sooner we get there, the sooner we can return and get started.”

Lucian nodded. “The Duke and Lord Deo can remain and protect Brother. Beks, can you ask your mother if she can come with us?”

“Where are you going?” A small, angry voice asked from the open double doors leading down to the yard outside, where Snowflake was sleeping. Beks looked over and saw Wrath standing on the top step, still wearing her ‘exploration satchel’, a straw hat, and a scowl. “And why are you on my bed?”

Her voice rose and Beks tried not to shrink back with guilt. “Wrath, your big brothers Laz and Lucian aren’t feeling well.”

“But why are they on my bed?” Wrath’s little face wrinkled, clearly upset. She looked at Beks with big, dark accusing eyes. “They’re taking you from me!”

She whirled around and climbed back down the stairs, rushing out and ignoring her sister’s words. Beks sighed and began to pry Laz off her.

“She didn’t understand,” Lucian said with some pity.

“Or she really doesn’t like us,” Laz replied as he unwound his arms from around Beks’. “I should make her more sweets.”

“I’ll talk to her.” Beks climbed over Lucian to get to the edge and didn’t bother putting on her shoes so she could go after her sister. “Wrath?” She stopped at the top of the steps and looked around. She caught the sight of little legs wiggling over Snowflake’s coiled tail in a struggle to climb up. Snowflake lazily turned his head back. He seemed to acknowledge Wrath’s struggle and flick his tail up just a bit.

“Ah!” The child slipped and rolled over the side of Snowflake’s tail.

“Snowflake,” Beks said in a stern voice. “Don’t help her hide.” Snowflake flickered his tongue and moved his tail, revealing Wrath on her back, with her hands covering her mouth. As soon as Snowflake’s tail moved, Wrath caught her sister walking towards her and froze. Beks stopped beside her and knelt down. “Wrath.”

The little girl turned her head away, refusing to speak to her.

“Wrath, we were discussing plans to get the king back on the throne, which requires us to go to the mainland every so often for supplies and information.” Beks told her sister the truth, but Wrath still remained with her head turned. Beks tilted her head in question. “Are you...upset because they are on the bed?”

Wrath’s eyes crinkled up, confirming her suspicions. As Beks tried to think of how to address her sister’s concerns, a flash of reddish orange seemed to scurry from the trees lining the tier. The unnatural color stood out and Beks jerked her head back as the creature, no larger than her palm, seemed to rush towards Wrath.

Beks reached down at once and snatched her sister from the ground. She took two steps back, ignoring her sister’s struggling and keeping her eyes on the unknown creature.

“No!” Wrath’s legs swung down as her eyes widened in shock.

“Wrath, be still! There is an animal-”

Wrath cut off her sister with a loud gasp. “It’s you!” Beks stopped, Wrath still gathered in her arms and hung. Wrath’s arms waved angrily in front of her. “I said I don’t like you! Go away!”

For a moment, Beks thought she was talking about her, but Wrath hadn’t said such a thing recently. Instead, she turned her attention to the small creature that had stopped two paces away. Now that it was closer, Beks could see that it was some sort of lizard. It was mostly a dark brown, almost blending into the soil, but the bright reddish-orange cracks across the dark brown were what caught her attention.

“Wrath, you know what this is?”

Wrath shook her head from side to side. “No! I don’t like him!”

Beks heard a little chirp and looked down at the lizard. It looked like any other lizard, but a bit thicker. Its tail was also a bit swollen, like the lizards that would lose their tail to avoid predators. However, its eyes were large and reddish orange.

Her heart tightened. For a moment she was reminded of Snowflake when he was a baby. Still, she didn’t move and held Wrath above ground. “Do you know what he is?”

“An ugly lizard!” Wrath scowled. “He kept following me!”

Beks drew her head back, looking from her sister to the lizard. It let out another chirp and tilted its head to the side. Her heart squeezed once more.

“He’s not ugly, he’s cute,” Beks said, not noticing that Snowflake had perked up.

Wrath’s face remained scrunched. “No, he’s not! He’s annoying! We found him when we went by the geysers this morning and everywhere I went, he followed. When I wanted to sit down, he sat where I wanted to sit. He tried to climb on me and wouldn’t leave me alone!”

Beks blinked. “That reminds me, why are you here?”

Wrath shot her a glare. “Are you mad because I caught them on my bed?”

“No,” Beks replied. Her sister held grudges, apparently. “I just thought you’d be with Lady Eleanor and the survey team all day.”

Wrath snorted. “That was the plan, but they heard a ship came in, so they made us come back.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I was coming back for my nap, but they were there.”

Beks sighed and carried Wrath to the steps around the rotunda. She sat down and held her sister over her lap. “Wrath, I brought them there to rest and comfort them.”

Wrath’s face twitched. She avoided her sister’s eyes. “What do you mean comfort them? Did they get hurt?”

“When the ship came, it brought news of their aunt. She has died.” Beks watched her sister’s brows shoot up before she slumped in her arms.

“Oh.” Wrath’s fingers twisted the hem of her dress. Her voice lost the defensive edge it had earlier. “Are they sad?”

“Very sad,” Beks said as she leaned forward and rested her head on Wrath’s head. She hugged her sister. “Wrath is so smart. Remember when you told me to hug you because it made me feel better?” She felt her sister nod her head. “I thought I could make them feel better by hugging them, too.”

Wrath was quiet as she subconsciously snuggled against her sister. “Then...do they feel better?”

“A little,” Beks said. “But they’re still sad.”

“I would be sad, too,” Wrath replied. She seemed to think for a moment. “If they are sad, they can stay there for a little longer.”

“That is very generous of you.”

“Sister...if you go somewhere with them, are you coming back?”

“Of course,” Beks said. “I will always come back here. Didn’t we have a plan? Even if I work in Kadmium, I will return here to govern and Wrath is going to move here, too?”

Wrath hummed. “I really like the island.”

“Did you make new animal friends?” Beks asked as she noticed the little lizard making small movements to get closer to them.

Wrath let out an exasperated sigh. “No. All the animals are busy. The sheep and goats just want to eat. The birds are curious, but don’t want to talk to me. The big animals are too scared to come by.”

“What about the monkeys? There are so many monkeys on the island.”

“They’re mean.”

“Ah.”

“Snowflake is good. He’ll talk to me.”

“Yes, my Snowflake is very good,” Beks said. “One day, you’ll also have a good animal friend.” She saw the lizard climb up on the first step a few paces away. His movements were measured and Beks couldn’t help but think he had some consciousness. “What about that one?”

Wrath followed her gaze and her face filled with disgust. “No!”

“What’s wrong with him?”

“He’s so small and ugly! He doesn’t do anything except climb rocks and be annoying,” Wrath replied.

Beks frowned a bit. “Wrath, he’s clearly curious about you.”

“It’s because he wants to come home with me, but I don’t want him!”

“Because he’s small?”

Wrath’s shoulders fell. “You and Mommy have such big animal friends! Inky is so strong and Snowflake is so beautiful and smart!”

“Well, it was fate that brought me and Snowflake and Mommy and Inky together. Maybe that is what is happening between you and the little lizard,” Beks told her.

Wrath’s eyes reddened. “But I want a big and powerful animal friend! Not a little lizard!”

“Snowflake was small when I received him,” Beks said. “And look at how majestic he is now. He’s the biggest, cutest horned serpent in the world!” She wasn’t sure if he was the biggest, but certainly the cutest in her opinion.

“But he can change the color of his scales! That’s amazing! The lizard does nothing!”

Beks nodded in sympathy and then stopped. “Wait...did you say Snowflake changes the color of his scales?” Wrath nodded. Beks looked up at her horned serpent. “Snowflake.” His eyes were closed and he seemed to be sleeping. I know you’re faking it.

“It takes biha for him to change color, so unless he puts in effort, that’s his natural color,” Wrath told her. “Because Snowflake is lazy.”

At this, Snowflake snapped his head back and flickered his tongue in protest.

“All right, Snowflake is amazing, we already know this,” Beks said. She looked at the little lizard. “Why don’t you want to be friends with this little one? You can have more than one friend.”

Wrath also looked at the lizard, who swished his tail once and kept looking at her with big eyes. “He says he’s very good and will keep me warm.”

“Keep you warm?” Beks asked. She lowered her hand and beckoned the lizard to come closer. “Come here.”

The lizard looked at her hand and then back at Wrath. Wrath puffed out her cheeks. “You listen to my sister!”

The lizard scurried forward and climbed on to Beks’ hand. Her eyes widened and she smiled. “Oh...he’s very warm! And soft! Have you touched him, Wrath? Pet him. He’s very warm!”

Wrath had some resistance, but when Beks held the palm sized lizard in front of her, she still reached out to touch it. A flicker of surprise went through her face. “He doesn’t feel like rocks...he’s soft.”

“And warm,” Beks said as she smiled wide. She watched the lizard close his eyes as Wrath’s little fingers stroked his head. “He really likes you. He followed you all the way here. Isn’t that far?”

Wrath took a deep breath and pulled her hand back. “But he’s so little.”

“Doesn’t that show that he worked hard?”

“I suppose….”

Beks lowered her hand and let the lizard down onto the steps. The lizard walked away a bit and looked around. Snowflake’s giant head appeared in front of him. A tongue flickered out.

“He’s little, but he may grow larger. And right now, our Wrath is also little, so it’s convenient to carry him around. When he gets better, he’ll carry around Wrath,” Beks said. Her sister seemed to be interested in the idea, so she pressed further. “And he’s nice and warm. Isn’t that comfortable when we go to Sagittate? He followed you, so he’s determined. Not to mention, he’s very cute. Look at his big eyes and that fat little tail.”

She motioned towards the lizard and he seemed to understand. His fat tail swished back and forth, as if showing off. Because of this, Beks didn’t really notice Snowflake’s eyes narrow or his mouth opening.

“I suppose...he’s kind of cute...and he does want to come with me.” Wrath grasped her sister’s arm. “Can he sleep in the room with me?”

“Yes, we’ll make him a little bed beside ours.” Beks agreed at once. Joy flashed across Wrath’s face.

“Okay, then-Snowflake!” Wrath screamed and Beks snapped her head around to see the horned serpent close his mouth around the lizard. Beks shot to her feet, nearly dropping Wrath.

“Snowflake! Open your mouth! Drop him, right now!”

Wrath couldn’t stop yelling beside her. “He’s crying! Sister, he’s crying! He says he’s going to be eaten! Snowflake, stop! Stop! Don’t eat my baby lizard!”

“Snowflake, split out the baby lizard right now!” Beks put her sister down and stomped towards him. Snowflake shrank back, but turned his head away. Behind her, Wrath began to cry. “Snowflake, you split him out right now or I will be very upset with you!”

Snowflake lowered his head. He hesitated and then opened his mouth, dropping a small brown and reddish-orange creature onto the ground, covered in saliva. Beks drew her head back in disgust, but Wrath cried out and rushed forward.

“Snowflake, you bad serpent! I don’t like you anymore!” She gathered her little lizard in her hands and brought him against her chest. She turned and shot Snowflake a glare. “Hateful!” She rushed up the steps and into the rotunda.

Beks walked in front of Snowflake. “I am very disappointed in you, Snowflake. You know that the little lizard wanted to be Wrath’s friend. Why did you try to eat him?” Snowflake’s tongue flickered out and he tried to nudge Beks, but Beks stepped back. “You will think about what you did wrong. Afternoon nap time cuddles are canceled today!”

Snowflake almost hissed and drew his head back. He coiled up at once and buried his head in the center of the coil.

Beks resisted the urge to comfort him, telling herself that he needed to learn. She turned around and returned to the rotunda. Wrath was kneeling beside the pool with the little lizard beside her. She scooped up water from the pool with her hands and used it to wash the saliva off.

“Don’t be afraid of him, baby lizard. He’s just jealous because Sister said you are very cute,” Wrath told the lizard. “He is a very jealous horned serpent, but he is not really bad. I will talk to him later. Have him guide you.”

Beks’ face softened. “Our Wrath is so benevolent.”

“I don’t know what that means,” Wrath said. “But it’s probably something good.” She then wrapped her lizard in the hem of her shirt and patted him dry. “How do you feel, baby lizard?” There was a pause and Wrath nodded. “Okay, good. Don’t be sad. You’ll follow me from now on. I will give you food and you can sleep next to me.” She lifted him up on his palm to look around. “This is our room.”

“This is your sister’s room,” Laz said from the bed. Wrath shot him a glare. She brought her lizard close to her head.

“Those are the men who want to marry my sister. They haven’t married her yet, so they don’t live here with us. Ignore them.”

Beks rolled her eyes. “Are you going to take a nap?”

Wrath shook her head. “I’m going to give the baby lizard a tour of the palace.” She put the lizard on her shoulder. “Can you sit there? Okay. Hold on.” She walked past the bed, ignoring the two men still on it, and marched towards the door. She pulled open the heavy door with some struggle. “This palace is really old and doesn’t have a lot, but it’s still nice. I’ll show you the most important place first: the kitchen.”

They watched Wrath slip out between a small gap and then pull the door closed behind her.

“I don’t know who she’s angrier with. Snowflake or us,” Lucian said with a disappointed sigh.

“Us. She said that Snowflake isn’t really that bad,” Laz replied. “But wecan be ignored.”

Lucian winced. “Our little sister-in-law still needs to be won over.”

“I’ll bake her the egg tart with fruit that she likes later.”

“Were you two listening the whole time?” Beks asked as she stood beside the bed. The two men laid back against the cushions and shrugged.

“You were quite loud. We were about to get up when we heard Snowflake ate the little lizard,” Laz told her.

“He didn’t eat him, he just put him in his mouth,” Beks said.

“You got to him in time,” Laz replied with a grin. He looked past her. “Also, your urapearl was flashing while you were outside. It’s working, right?”

Beks furrowed her brows and turned towards her urapearl in the corner. She walked over. “It’s working. We called my uncle earlier to test it. Did it just flash once?”

“No, it was flashing for some time.”

That meant that someone was trying to get through multiple times. Beks stood in front of the urapearl and waited. If it were urgent, they would try to call again. Unless she gave the order, Mr. Kesse wouldn’t call about Nexus, so she was sure it wasn’t him. Could it be her uncle?

Her chest constricted as her heart began to quicken. Did something happen at the Northern Pass?

The urapearl began to glow once more and Beks placed her hands on top of it. The surface cleared and Uncle Erik appeared.

“Beks-”

“Uncle, what’s wrong? Should I call my father?” At this, she saw the twins rise from the bed, as if ready to fetch the man if she gave the word.

“It may be faster to tell both of you at once.” Her uncle paused. “But don’t look too worried. Your Aunt Hilga is there.”

Beks nodded. She looked at the twins. “Get my father.”

The two were already halfway to the door when her uncle told her. “I was going to wait for your call, but the situation at the Northern Pass is more complicated than usual because of Kadmus. Your Aunt Hilga wants to confirm her plans with Brother Robert first.”

For the General Commander of the Northern Pass to seek approval from her father meant it was likely a dangerous strategy. Beks swallowed hard.

The door flew open and Robert rushed in with a serious look on his face. He marched directly towards Beks and she stepped aside.

“Brief me,” Robert said in a low voice as he placed his hands on either side of the stone base and looked down at the image of his brother.

“We are short on people to both engage in the beast migration and deflect the Kadmus battalion trying to take over the Northern Pass Fort,” Uncle Erik reported. “The beast migration is nearing its height and already we’re shorthanded. Sister has pulled those at the front of dealing with Kadmus back to the Northern Pass, but as that battalion encroaches, we will not be able to defend both sides.”

Both father and daughter frowned. “How long can you hold?”

“It doesn’t matter how long they can hold; any length of time is too much time,” her father said. His eyes were narrowed and he seemed to be going through a thousand scenarios in his head. “If they are pinched between the beast migration in the north and a Kadmus battalion in the south, then retreat.”

Both Uncle Erik and Beks looked at the Duke with some surprise. “Brother, are you sure?”

“Don’t retreat to Sagittate. Fall back to the Northern Pass Fort and focus on the beast migration. Between humans and beasts, it is the beasts that are more difficult to deal with and must be controlled first,” her father said. “That being said, conflict involving both should always be an option.”

“Brother, we don’t have enough people. We’ve already sent over the majority of our biha users and army-”

“I didn’t say we had to be the ones to deal with them both. Let them deal with each other,” Robert said. Beks’ brows shot up.

“You want to weaponize the beasts?” Beks asked.

He glanced towards her and smirked. “My Snowflower understood quickly.” He raised a large hand and patted her head. “But not necessarily to weaponize them, but let the two problems collide. Every beast migration, a few beasts slip through the barrier, but they are tracked and killed before they can reach the village south of the tundra. Now, there is a military force also standing in their way.”

Uncle Erik’s eyes widened. “You want us to allow beasts to escape from the pass?”

“If we can’t keep them all out, don’t trouble yourselves if a few slip through. They will encounter the battalion encroaching north, and the battalion will have no choice but to engage, doing the task of tracking and killing for us. This will also delay the battalion, if not alarm them and make them hesitant to continue, at least so soon.”

Uncle Erik rubbed his chin and nodded. “The beast migration comes in waves, so it would be a steady threat to the battalion.” Robert nodded. “I will relay your order to Sister.”

Robert nods, telling his brother to tell Hilga to be measured and put priority on diverting the beast migration and securing the Northern Pass Fort. As long as they can do that, the battalion can’t do much. After the call ended, Robert had a satisfied look on his face.

“Have any of the battalions ever faced the beast migration before?” Beks asked.

“I’m sure they’ve heard about it, but faced an ice monster up close? Never,” Robert replied. He stood up straight and let out a low breath. “It’s good that your urapearl works. At the very least, we can contact the mainland somehow.”

Beks nodded and took a deep breath. “Daddy, how dangerous at the beasts in the migration?”

“Most of the animals are in herds and can’t utilize their ice biha for more than defensive purposes. For them, the most dangerous scenario is a stampede. They’re large and can break down an ice wall easily. That’s why we build the defensive barriers not to stop them, but to divert them away from the volcanoes and the tundra past the pass,” Robert told her. His eyes narrowed. “However, for the predatory creatures that tend to be solitary, we don’t hunt them alone. It’s too dangerous.”

He caught something laying on the corner of the bed and walked over. Beks craned her neck and saw her father picked up Wrath’s legendary beasts book. He turned to face her, holding the spine of the book in one hand as he opened it and flipped through the pages. His brows were knit as he lowered the book and held it low to show it to her.

“The mammoths and snow rhinos can be diverted. They’re generally peaceful at a distance. What I’d be concerned about, and what I’m hoping will engage our unwanted guests, are these.” He tapped on the page. Beks took the book from his hands. “Feathered snow serpent, the northern mountain sabers, and...ice cockatrice?”

Her father nodded. “Yes, they’re the smallest of the dragon species and while they don’t eat humans, if they feel they are threatened, which is common, as they are skittish, they will attack and are very violent.”

Beks read the small passage under the sketch of a fierce looking creature that appeared to have a more bird-like than serpent-like head. “They have wings, but they prefer running? And they attack with ice?”

“We are very careful when an ice cockatrice is sighted and take great pains to keep it from entering the pass. They’re not very smart and can usually be redirected away, but if one slips through, they must be killed immediately, else they’ll continue south without rest. One of them is enough to send an entire battalion into chaos.”

“Are they rare?”

“Rare enough,” Robert told her. “But there are a few recorded during each migration. They’re hard to miss being the size of a house. Your aunt will know what to do.”

╔═════════════════ ∘◦ ♔ ◦∘ ═════════════════╗

“I know that you feel uncomfortable with the idea of an ice beast rampaging through a battalion, but that battalion is under the control of the enemy, and therefore, is our enemy. Thus, no mercy should be shown, at least until you have complete control of the situation.” Sybil’s words were unwavering and Laurence furrowed his brows at the head of the dinner table. “Only then can you afford to be merciful.”

Beks cut through a piece of bread to dip it into her stew. Several days after her father gave the order to her uncle, they had received word that several ice beasts had escaped the Northern Pass. Her father was right when he told her that her aunt would know what to do.

Entire herds of less violent creatures were kept contained, but the ones that managed to ‘escape’ were two snow serpents, half of all the northern mountain sabers that had come down in the last week, and the larger of two ice cockatrices.

Aunt Hilga followed the ice cockatrice herself, using her biha to steer it towards the battalion that had already been rattled not only by the near blizzard-like conditions, but unexpected beast attacks. The entire battalion had either retreated or scattered. For the time being, the battalion that had been nipping at their heels was not a threat.

In addition, Beks had rumors spread around that north that ice beasts were coming further south due to the poor leadership of the battalions under Luther. It might have been petty on her part, but any time there was a chance to make her ex-fiancé look bad, she would take it.

After her father reported the situation to Laurence over dinner, they noticed his concern. Beks sat to one side of the table, across from Lucian while beside her Wrath was offering a little bread to the lizard on her shoulder.

“Lizards don’t eat bread, Wrath,” Deo said a few seats away.

Wrath lowered her hand. “He just wants to taste it...oh...never mind, he doesn’t like it.” She put the small piece of bread to the side and continued to eat despite the heavy conversation happening around the dining room.

“While I understand that the situation puts us on opposite sides of the battlefield, I do still think of them as my people...however misled they are,” Laurence replied with a thoughtful crease across his brows. “But I’m aware that until I sit on that throne and wear that crown, I am their enemy.”

“Once the beast migration is over, we can bring our best biha users and situate the Caroline army in a strategic place,” Robert said.

“Duke Caroline, if Luther and the Third Consort hold their ground and refuse to give up the throne, resisting our return, with the resources that we have available after the beast migration, how long would it take to retake Kadmus?” Lady Eleanor asked.

The middle-aged man chewed his food slowly and narrowed his eyes. After a few moments, he swallowed and frowned. “It depends at which point they will resist. If we catch them off guard, even with such a limited military, simply storming Kadmium and capturing them will be enough. Once they are under our control, as long as we do not lower our own guard, we can control the situation.”

“His Majesty is the rightful king. If those who do not accept it and resist his return to power are simply traitors,” Deo added.

Lady Eleanor nodded slowly.

“But a large group moving towards Kadmium isn’t something that can be hidden. Aside from visually, we will need food, water, and shelter. If we don’t have enough, we don’t move. Even if we’re able to separate our people into smaller groups, and have them move successfully, to avoid suspicion, they would have to come together at one point. Where will that be? How far outside of Kadmium is close enough to storm the city before being cut off or attacked from behind by battalions under the Fourth Prince and his people’s control?” Beks said. “I don’t think such a scenario of storming Kadmium when we are close enough will be enough. The military who follows us, even with the Wild Dogs, with the Caroline army, even if we’re able to regain the power of the Glasser March’s army, which has been dissolved, all it would take is three or four of the nearby battalions to outnumber us. If Luther escapes, and they lay siege after we’ve retaken Kadmium, how long can we last?”

“We need more people,” Laurence said.

Beks took a deep breath. “We need resources. We need better lines of communication.”

Laurence looked across the table and narrowed his eyes, curious. “You sound as if you have a solution.”

Beks didn’t falter. “I need to go to the mainland.”

“No.” Several voices from around the table spoke at once. It was something she expected, so she wasn’t surprised.

“I won’t be going alone. I want Laz and Lucian to come with me.”

Laurence’s posture stiffened more so. He frowned at once. “That is an even greater reason for me to refuse.”

“Brother, we can’t do everything on the island. We need to prepare on the mainland, as well,” Laz said.

Laurence shot him a silencing glare. “You can send your trusted men. What about Gerard or Jonas?”

“They have their hands full as is and don’t have the connections I have,” Beks told them. “Nor the connections Laz and Lucian do.”

“And what connections do you three have?” Robert asked with a raised brow.

“Money,” Beks said. “We need to go to the mainland to get money so we can fund Brother Laurence’s return.”

Laurence slammed his hands on the table and scowled. “I am not taking your money!”

“Brother, you do not have a choice,” Laz said, lifting his head.

“How are you going to get your money? The Kadmium Bank?” Laurence asked with a choked laugh. “If you prove your identities to gain access, Luther and his father will find out. The safety provided by your disappearance is gone!”

“Brother, our money isn’t in the Kadmium Bank.” Lucian’s voice was a bit calmer. “It’s in Aceria.”

Sybil’s head snapped up at once. Her brows shot up. “The Acerian Wealth Vaults.”

The twins nodded and Laurence drew his head back. He shook it once, refusal still on his face. “No...no, the only reason you would have anything there is if Adah prepared it for you. That is money your father set aside for you two.” His eyes crinkled up and reddened as his voice rose. “How can I take it from you? I would be no better than Luther!”

“You wouldn’t be taking it from them. It would be a loan,” Beks told him. “The late Queen borrowed money to fund her revolt. You know that. This isn’t something that doesn’t have precedence. She wasn’t the first to do so, either.”

Laurence looked at her, then to his brothers, and back. He frowned with disapproval and shook his head. “Rebecca Anastasia of Caroline...you’ve planned this.”

Beks lowered her utensils and met his gaze.

“In the last week, I have studied the various possible routes to take to Kadmium you and my father have discussed, as the capital needs to be seized and secured. I have listened to the various scenarios and what is required. I calculated the speed, distance that needs to be covered, supplies that need to be used for an army quadruple the size of what we have available now. As such, I calculated the cost of providing for such an army. I calculated the cost of providing for every battalion and noble military force that we can get support from enroute to the Kadmium based on where they are currently located, their numbers, and the availability of resources from there.

“I’ve looked into purchasing ships, horses, weapons, and from where, so the large purchase of goods being moved at once wouldn’t be suspicious. I’ve calculated transport costs, import taxes, and time. All I need is the money to fund all of this, and now I can get it. Laz and Lucian will loan you what they have and within ten years of your reign, it will be repaid, either in gold or, if there is not enough in the royal treasury, in property. This is something they have agreed upon. They will not charge you interest, as your return to the throne will be beneficial to them, as well, but they require that a certain amount be paid off every year,” Beks told him as her eyes hardened.

“Brother, you asked me to find a way, and I have. Therefore, I am not asking for permission to go to the mainland. I am informing you that I am.”